Common use of Subsequent School Years Clause in Contracts

Subsequent School Years. After the school’s first year of operation, the school must determine its calendar and class schedule by March 15 and relay that information to the Ofice of Innovation. The school must also make that information readily available to parents and guardians. After March 15, the school should not shorten the days or hours of operation in a significant way without permission of the Office of Innovation which will only grant such a change for very good reasons and with the condition that parents are properly informed of the change. RELATED SOURCES OF INFORMATION OFFICE OF INNOVATION Charter Agreement Section 1 STATE DOE Attendance Manual ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇.▇▇/education/schapprova l/attendancemanual/index.shtml Pre-Opening Actions Checklist items discussed in this section are as follows: 7 ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇.▇▇/education/schapproval/attendancemanual/index.shtml Item Deliverable Provisions have been made for a child find system and serving students with special needs. Written documentation that the school has hired, contracted with or received a commitment from the school district regarding certified Special Education teacher(s) and a SPED coordinator, and hired, contracted with or received a commitment from the school district regarding speech and language therapists, and occupational and physical therapists, or other services or equipment, if required. A preliminary count of students with special needs is available. Copies of IEPs for incoming students (Easy IEP training complete). PRE-OPENING ACTION TO-DO LIST: SERVING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Begin: Immediately after charter is granted Due Date: At time of Pre-Opening Action Visit with Office of Innovation  Adopt and implement a child find plan in accordance with the IDEA (District Plan).  Hire appropriate staff, contract with outside vendors or request that the local school district provide special education (SPED) services to ensure that the school has access to appropriately qualified staff to implement, oversee, and administer the delivery of SPED services. Required Deliverable(s) at Time of Pre-Opening Action Visit: Written documentation that the school has hired or contracted with a SPED coordinator. Written documentation that the school has hired appropriate staff, contracted with other vendors or received an acknowledgement that the school district(s) will provide certified special education teacher(s), speech and language therapists, and occupational and physical therapists, or other services or equipment, if required by student IEPs. Written documentation from the school stating the anticipated number of special education students (Easy IEP training complete). Written documentation showing understanding of District Child Find procedures. As explained in the school’s Charter Agreement, charter schools are required to serve students with disabilities as required by federal laws and regulations. Many of the methods and strategies for doing so are mandated; however, a charter school’s main obligations are to understand and work with MNPS to ensure the proper execution of the child find system to identify children who may be in need of SPED services and to work with MNPS personnel to ensure that the services required for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who enroll in charter schools are provided to those students by the charter school. As you may be aware, charter schools in Tennessee are considered schools within a Local Educational Agency (LEA) for purposes of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Charter schools have some choices regarding how they will deliver special education services to students with IEPs, but they must insure that those services are delivered as written in the IEP. In addition, each charter school must have a SPED coordinator to oversee the process and interact with district exceptional education personnel. The SPED delivery choices are as follows: • the charter school provides all of the SPED services; • qualified third party consultants hired by the charter school provide all of the SPED services; • the school district of the student’s residence provides all of the SPED services through mutual decision that alternative placement is consistent with the child’s best interest in receiving a Free and Appropriate Public Education; or • any combination of the above. While it may not be possible for a charter school to decide how it will deliver SPED services to its students until after the Pre-Opening Action Visit when it receives all student records and IEPs, new charter schools should demonstrate that they have hired a SPED coordinator and established meaningful coordination with District personnel regarding a child find system that ensures that all students with disabilities, regardless of the severity of a disability and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated. This includes those students for whom the charter school has already received or will receive an IEP (see Policies and Procedures Regarding Students’ Academic and Health Records section, below), as well as those who have not yet been identified. A count of students with disabilities should be available at the time of the Pre- Opening Action Visit, and, although incomplete, the school’s SPED staffing and resources should be appropriate to handle that number of children. Furthermore, the charter school should ensure that it has engaged appropriately qualified staff to deliver services to students (see below), oversee the implementation of students’ IEPs, provide training and information to the school’s regular education teachers regarding students with disabilities and their programs and services, and handle other administrative duties and billing associated with providing special education. Financial Note The excess funding for exceptional education students that comes from IDEA allocations to MNPS will be apportioned according to an annual budget developed by each school in collaboration with the District’s Coordinator of Exceptional Education. Please be aware that the amount of excess cost aid is often far less than the cost of the SPED services provided by a charter school. Because Tennessee charter schools are not LEAs, they cannot unilaterally develop a child’s IEP, change an IEP or decide a child no longer needs an IEP. The school must coordinate with the district’s exceptional education personnel and parents to accomplish such activities. In terms of admissions, charter schools cannot discriminate against children with disabilities and must admit a child even if the school does not provide a particular setting or service (resource room, 6:1:1 setting, etc.) required by a child’s IEP. Charter schools may not “discharge” a student because the student requires settings or services not offered by the school. All decisions regarding service must be made in collaboration with parents and district personnel. Charter schools must also make reasonable accommodation for physically disabled students and must follow the applicable provisions of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)8 and section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 19739 with respect to school facilities and equipment. See the Adequacy and Accessibility of School Facility section of this Workbook for further information. Background Check Note New hires, re-hired employees, substitutes, student teachers, student practicum, volunteers, tutors and vendors. Finger printing has been extended from three days to five days and we no longer schedule appointments. You must call the Vendor and register 24 hours prior to being finger printed. You may pay the fee of $48.00 by credit card when registering with the Vendor. However, a money order in the amount of $48.00 made out to the Vendor is the only acceptable payment on-site at MNPS. Once you have registered you may walk-in between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Avenue site.

Subsequent School Years. After the school’s first year of operation, the school must determine its calendar and class schedule by March 15 and relay that information to the Ofice of Innovation. The school must also make that information readily available to parents and guardians. After March 15, the school should not shorten the days or hours of operation in a significant way without permission of the Office of Innovation which will only grant such a change for very good reasons and with the condition that parents are properly informed of the change. RELATED SOURCES OF INFORMATION OFFICE OF INNOVATION Charter Agreement Section 1 STATE DOE Attendance Manual ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇.▇▇/education/schapprova l/attendancemanual/index.shtml Pre-Opening Actions Checklist items discussed in this section are as follows: 7 ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇.▇▇/education/schapproval/attendancemanual/index.shtml Item Deliverable Provisions have been made for a child find system and serving students with special needs. Written documentation that the school has hired, contracted with or received a commitment from the school district regarding certified Special Education teacher(s) and a SPED coordinator, and hired, contracted with or received a commitment from the school district regarding speech and language therapists, and occupational and physical therapists, or other services or equipment, if required. A preliminary count of students with special needs is available. Copies of IEPs for incoming students (Easy IEP training complete). PREPre-OPENING ACTION TOOpening Action To-DO LISTDo List: SERVING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Serving Students With Disabilities Begin: Immediately after charter is granted Due Date: At time of Pre-Opening Action Visit with Office of Innovation  ❑ Adopt and implement a child find plan in accordance with the IDEA (District Plan).  ❑ Hire appropriate staff, contract with outside vendors or request that the local school district provide special education (SPED) services to ensure that the school has access to appropriately qualified staff to implement, oversee, and administer the delivery of SPED services. Required Deliverable(s) at Time of Pre-Opening Action Visit: Written documentation that the school has hired or contracted with a SPED coordinator. Written documentation that the school has hired appropriate staff, contracted with other vendors or received an acknowledgement that the school district(s) will provide certified special education teacher(s), speech and language therapists, and occupational and physical therapists, or other services or equipment, if required by student IEPs. Written documentation from the school stating the anticipated number of special education students (Easy IEP training complete). Written documentation showing understanding of District Child Find procedures. As explained in the school’s Charter Agreement, charter schools are required to serve students with disabilities as required by federal laws and regulations. Many of the methods and strategies for doing so are mandated; however, a charter school’s main obligations are to understand and work with MNPS to ensure the proper execution of the child find system to identify children who may be in need of SPED services and to work with MNPS personnel to ensure that the services required for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who enroll in charter schools are provided to those students by the charter school. As you may be aware, charter schools in Tennessee are considered schools within a Local Educational Agency (LEA) for purposes of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Charter schools have some choices regarding how they will deliver special education services to students with IEPs, but they must insure that those services are delivered as written in the IEP. In addition, each charter school must have a SPED coordinator to oversee the process and interact with district exceptional education personnel. The SPED delivery choices are as follows: • the charter school provides all of the SPED services; • qualified third party consultants hired by the charter school provide all of the SPED services; • the school district of the student’s residence provides all of the SPED services through mutual decision that alternative placement is consistent with the child’s best interest in receiving a Free and Appropriate Public Education; or • any combination of the above. While it may not be possible for a charter school to decide how it will deliver SPED services to its students until after the Pre-Opening Action Visit when it receives all student records and IEPs, new charter schools should demonstrate that they have hired a SPED coordinator and established meaningful coordination with District personnel regarding a child find system that ensures that all students with disabilities, regardless of the severity of a disability and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated. This includes those students for whom the charter school has already received or will receive an IEP (see Policies and Procedures Regarding Students’ Academic and Health Records section, below), as well as those who have not yet been identified. A count of students with disabilities should be available at the time of the Pre- Opening Action Visit, and, although incomplete, the school’s SPED staffing and resources should be appropriate to handle that number of children. Furthermore, the charter school should ensure that it has engaged appropriately qualified staff to deliver services to students (see below), oversee the implementation of students’ IEPs, provide training and information to the school’s regular education teachers regarding students with disabilities and their programs and services, and handle other administrative duties and billing associated with providing special education. Financial Note The excess funding for exceptional education students that comes from IDEA allocations to MNPS will be apportioned according to an annual budget developed by each school in collaboration with the District’s Coordinator of Exceptional Education. Please be aware that the amount of excess cost aid is often far less than the cost of the SPED services provided by a charter school. Because Tennessee charter schools are not LEAs, they cannot unilaterally develop a child’s IEP, change an IEP or decide a child no longer needs an IEP. The school must coordinate with the district’s exceptional education personnel and parents to accomplish such activities. In terms of admissions, charter schools cannot discriminate against children with disabilities and must admit a child even if the school does not provide a particular setting or service (resource room, 6:1:1 setting, etc.) required by a child’s IEP. Charter schools may not “discharge” a student because the student requires settings or services not offered by the school. All decisions regarding service must be made in collaboration with parents and district personnel. Charter schools must also make reasonable accommodation for physically disabled students and must follow the applicable provisions of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)8 and section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 19739 with respect to school facilities and equipment. See the Adequacy and Accessibility of School Facility section of this Workbook for further information. Background Check Note New hires, re-hired employees, substitutes, student teachers, student practicum, volunteers, tutors and vendors. Finger printing has been extended from three days to five days and we no longer schedule appointments. You must call the Vendor and register 24 hours prior to being finger printed. You may pay the fee of $48.00 by credit card when registering with the Vendor. However, a money order in the amount of $48.00 made out to the Vendor is the only acceptable payment on-site at MNPS. Once you have registered you may walk-in between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Avenue site.